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Tone
}} The Tone (トーン) is a Japanese subminiature camera taking 14×14mm exposures on 17.5mm film, made in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Description The Tone has a better finish than most other Hit-type cameras. The top housing covers the whole length of the camera, and contains an eye-level finder in the middle and a waist-level finder on the right, as seen by the photographer. The name Tone is engraved above the eye-level finder, together with the mention PAT. and a TOKO logo. The film is advanced by a knob at the top left, as seen by the photographer. The advance knob is engraved MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN on some examples, but not all. The back is hinged to the left and is locked by a sliding button on the right. It contains a single red window, protected by a sliding cover. The camera has no tripod thread. The shutter gives 25, 50, 100, B speeds, selected by an index at the top. It is cocked by a lever on one side, and tripped by the release lever on the other. The lens is a Tone Anastigmat 25mm f/3.5. It is focused from infinity to 3ft by turning the front cell, an unusual feature on a Hit-type camera. The aperture is set from 3.5 to 11 by an index at the bottom. The case is made of brown leather, embossed Tone at the front. The original box is red or blue, inscribed Tone CAMERA. Original boxes pictured in this page at Submin.com. Origin and commercial life The Tone is attributed in some sources to Tōyō Kōki or "Tōyō Kōki Seisakusho". "Tōyō Kōki K.K.": , p.355. "Tōyō Kōki Seisakusho": this page at Kikaishiki kamera no susume. This name is sometimes translated as "Toyo Optical Co.", "Toyo Optical Co.": , item 5148. and the attribution to "Toyo Kogaku" is surely a wrong back translation. "Toyo Kogaku": , p.933. The camera itself has a TOKO logo engraved at the top, presumably for Toyo Koki. This is very close to the TOKO logo found on the Mighty, another dual-finder Hit-type camera made by Tōkō Shashin, and this has led to the misconception that the Tone and Mighty were made by the same manufacturer. For example in , p.933. Some sources say that the Tone was released in 1948. Released in 1948: , item 5148, , p.933. In August 1949, the Tone was available in the USA for $9.95. Original receipt reproduced in this page at Submin.com. The camera was advertised in Japanese magazines from October 1949 to May 1950. , p.355. The May 1950 advertisement in was placed by the trading company Tōshin Bōeki, certainly the camera's distributor, and does not mention the manufacturer's name. Advertisement reproduced in , p.150. It gives the price of for the camera with case, and ¥1,950 including the shipping fees and a pack of six film rolls. Notes Bibliography * Item 615. * P.68 (brief mention only). * P.933. * P.77 (brief mention only). * Item 5148. Links In English: * Tone at Submin.com (also has documents: instructions for film processing and a receipt) * Tone at Subclub.org * Tone among other subminiature cameras at the Subminiature site of Gary Sivertsen * Tone, lot no.670 of auction no.7 (May 21, 2005) by Westlicht Photographica Auction In Japanese: * Tone at Kikaishiki kamera no susume (also has an English instruction manual) Category: Japanese 17.5mm film Category: T